What's your favourite scary movie?
Filed under: Movies, October 2009
With Halloween lurking just around the corner, ready to jump out and scare the wits out of you, what better way to get in the mood than to watch one of your favourite scary movies? Horror is a very popular genre with many dodgy B-movies and also some real gems littering the shelves of DVD stores. The brilliant ones are often so good that they have you hiding behind the sofa even during the 10th viewing. Here are some of the most searched horror movies.
Top searched horror movies:
The Shining Jack Nicholson makes an exceptional performance as the caretaker of the empty Overlook Hotel where ghosts and cabin fever ensure that Jack is never a dull boy.
Aliens The second installment of Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror saga about one woman's continuing battle against a fearsome and brutal alien enemy is regarded by many as even better than the original movie.
Night of the Living Dead The 1968 zombie movie from director George A Romero is a horror classic and spawned the Living Dead sequels and remakes that are still hugely popular today.
Jaws The film that had us fearing to dangle our legs over the sofa's edge - let alone the water's edge, depicts the battle between Brody, Hooper and a monstrous man-eating shark .
The Exorcist The story of a young girl being possessed by the devil and subsequently exorcised terrified audiences during its theatrical release so much that at many cinemas, paramedics were called to treat people who had fainted or were in hysterics.
Ringu This recent Japanese movie features the horrifying Sadako, a vengeful spirit who kills anyone that watches a certain mysterious video. It's popularity caused it to be remade in America.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre This film was banned 3 times in the UK due to its almost unprecedented goriness and perhaps this has contributed to its popularity. There have since been several sequels and a remake.
Don't Look Now Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie star in this creepy film about a young couple who move to Venice after the tragic death of the little girl. After meeting a woman claiming to be a psychic, strange things start happening to them, including seeing their daughter running about the waterways of Venice.
Poltergeist This film is still nearly terrifying nearly 30 years on from its original release. The film is about a family terrorised by ghosts that steal their young daughter away to another dimension.
What are your favourite horror movies? Leave a comment and let us know.
Top searched horror movies:
- Psycho
- The Shining
- Aliens
- Night of the Living Dead
- Jaws
- The Exorcist
- Ringu
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
- Don't Look Now
- Poltergeist
The Shining Jack Nicholson makes an exceptional performance as the caretaker of the empty Overlook Hotel where ghosts and cabin fever ensure that Jack is never a dull boy.
Aliens The second installment of Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror saga about one woman's continuing battle against a fearsome and brutal alien enemy is regarded by many as even better than the original movie.
Night of the Living Dead The 1968 zombie movie from director George A Romero is a horror classic and spawned the Living Dead sequels and remakes that are still hugely popular today.
Jaws The film that had us fearing to dangle our legs over the sofa's edge - let alone the water's edge, depicts the battle between Brody, Hooper and a monstrous man-eating shark .
The Exorcist The story of a young girl being possessed by the devil and subsequently exorcised terrified audiences during its theatrical release so much that at many cinemas, paramedics were called to treat people who had fainted or were in hysterics.
Ringu This recent Japanese movie features the horrifying Sadako, a vengeful spirit who kills anyone that watches a certain mysterious video. It's popularity caused it to be remade in America.
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre This film was banned 3 times in the UK due to its almost unprecedented goriness and perhaps this has contributed to its popularity. There have since been several sequels and a remake.
Don't Look Now Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie star in this creepy film about a young couple who move to Venice after the tragic death of the little girl. After meeting a woman claiming to be a psychic, strange things start happening to them, including seeing their daughter running about the waterways of Venice.
Poltergeist This film is still nearly terrifying nearly 30 years on from its original release. The film is about a family terrorised by ghosts that steal their young daughter away to another dimension.
What are your favourite horror movies? Leave a comment and let us know.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
sarah said 4:09AM on 10-31-2009
a good list of films, but from the ones ive seen they didnt scare me one bit. especially not 'the exorcist'.
my favourite horror film at the minute has to be 'drag me to hell'. this films had me jumping quite a few times
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Dave said 4:24AM on 10-31-2009
The exorcist does not work on the small screen, to really appreciate it, you have to see it the first time in a cinema.
When I saw the film, when it was first released, the nuns and evangelists, begging people not to enter, really set the atmosphere. The bomb scare half way through, causing the theatre to be evacuated, added to the tension, when just a few of us returned. WOW what an experience.
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joe said 4:41AM on 10-31-2009
The only 1 ive seen is jaws (1) the first time i watched it I was really quite scared my friend watched it he couldnt go to the toilet that day:O
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cymrox said 5:26AM on 10-31-2009
How any list of frighteners can leave out "Les Diaboliques" is beyond me
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steve68 said 5:53AM on 10-31-2009
some of these films are classics it has to be said, however a top 10 without silence of the lambs is unforgivable. One of the best psychological horrors of all time. You dont need blood and guts to scare people which is the brilliance of said film.
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Mupsy said 6:38AM on 10-31-2009
I thought "Lassie" should have been amongst them.....LOL !!!!!!!
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Rospack said 6:19AM on 10-31-2009
For me it has to be "The Ring". My children persuaded me to watch the DVD with them (some years ago now) one Saturday afternoon (so not even dark!). I was absolutely terrified. It happened to be on the box last night so watched it again, still very very frightening especially when the girl gets out of the TV. Oooh really jumpy!
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PattieODawes said 6:24AM on 10-31-2009
I was surprised to see that the Vincent Price film 'The House on Haunted Hill' was not on the list. It may be a bit long in the fang now but the scene where they are looking for a missing door in the cellar gave me the biggest fright I've ever had from a film. If I'd been eating popcorn at the time, everyone in the cinema would have had a share.
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Bobby T said 7:01AM on 10-31-2009
You're only the second person I've heard of that has seen the original House On Haunted Hill and loved it! I saw it a few years ago and managed to track it down on DVD. Great movie!
I don't get Psycho being on the list at all, never mind being top. Maybe I was expecting to much, because of the hype. The Shining should be there. Greatest horror movie ever! Texas...... would be a close second. House On..... third.
Jaws, I don't get either, one of the dullest films I've ever seen. Gonna track down 'Les Diaboliques', to see what that's about
Bonnie said 7:12AM on 10-31-2009
I know! I watched House on Haunted Hill on a plane to America on myiPod. The screen went black and I was convinced it was broken. Ithought I might be able to hear some audio though. I turned it upfull blast and screwed my earphones into my ears. BIG mistake! Ijumped a foot in the air when the screams started (so they're cheesy,I know, but scary the first time). I totally agree on the cellar bit.My friend watched it with me and she had her eyes mostly covered thewhole time. Annabelle sort of creeped me, her just hanging there.I'm glad you picked this.... everyone always loves House of Wax, and I do too, but I never found it scary. Both of them have been remade,but I hear the remakes are... poor. I just love Vincent Price!
Ren said 6:37AM on 10-31-2009
the ones ive seen out of this list arent remotely scary, and i cant believe that Salem's Lot was left out! it is one of the scariest things ive seen!
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Popeye said 6:55AM on 10-31-2009
I always jump out of my seat whenever I watch "Carrie". The closing scene when the hand comes out of the grave gets me everytime.
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martin said 6:40AM on 11-01-2009
in the top ten i reckon they should of added the Haunted with kate beckinsale, a good ghost film for halloween : )
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john said 7:19AM on 10-31-2009
these films are not jumpy. the scaryiest one at the moment has got to be drag me to HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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maureen said 7:28AM on 10-31-2009
The Descent should be up there with your top 10 !!!! I leapt in the cinema with this film and still jumped when i watched it on dvd at home ...... I agree with the Drag Me To Hell comments too - great jumps although a bit too gory in places .. :)
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Bambi said 7:41AM on 10-31-2009
i have to say that the film The Uninvtited is absoloutley amazing, really scared me like, IT has to be a classic, i mean c'mon how can nay sane or insane person not be scared of stephen kings creations?
The Crow is also amazing, not very scary but amazing, really gothic.
The Grudge 1+2 has to be in the list
also The Haunting in Connecticut. bloody amazing, i was babysitting when i first watched it, i was more scared that the kids!
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Lyn said 8:59AM on 10-31-2009
Psycho I think is once of the most scary films, the shining knive!, the back of the Mother (well we think its the mother) in the attic rocking in the chair, Norman Bates the Psycho,The music!!! , I have seen it 3 times, and the last time terrified me more than ever. Jaws still terrifies me, I remember seeing it at the cinema, I was only young, and I remember going on holiday with my mum and dad. and the hotel had a outside and inside swimming pool, the inside one was totally empty, but it was a little dark in there. I was swimming in there and suddenly jaws came in to my head, and I convinced myself it could be in the swiming pool, and I wouldn't use it after that. Thats how much impact it had on my young mind!!! I love horror films that leave a lot to the imagination. Like the Hitchcock film The Birds that was very frightening. I always think that the true horror of a movie is that it could actually happen.!
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Frisco said 9:01AM on 10-31-2009
Drag Me To Hell? Really? Don't you think it was maybe a little over hyped?
For me the scariest thing about a good horror movie is not knowing what happens next (hand from the grave in Carrie a fine example), rather than being able to work out the 'twist' when the film's halfway through.
Each to their own of course :-)
If anyone fancies a truely (non-cinematic) chilling experience, "The Woman in Black" in the West End is shocking
...the horror....
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Suzy said 2:22PM on 10-31-2009
I totally agree, 'The Woman in Black' was excellent. I thought it was going to be a bit boring at first but was a very scary experience . The tension in the small theatre was brilliant, it was added to by a number of teenagers in the audience who were very well behaved but there screaming made me scream although there wasn't a lot to frighten you visually, the sounds and acting got your imagination working. FANTASTIC!!!!!
dee said 9:11AM on 10-31-2009
I saw The Shining 20 years ago and still shudder. I can still see that decomposing woman getting out the bath and the blood from the lift. Red Rum!!!! The images have been burned onto my brain like burning an image to a cd and have given me nitemares. I have a fear of dead bodies and didn't realise at the age of 15 how much the images would affect me.
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